Capehart Thanks Supporters, Congratulates Winners

Senator Diane Capehart, who was not reelected as a Senator in the upcoming 31st Legislature, has taken her loss in stride, thanking her supporters for standing with her and congratulating the winners–her colleagues as well as the newcomers.

“I would like to thank the voters for coming out and exercising their right to vote in this most important election, and I would like to especially thank those who supported me. Unfortunately, I did not get enough support to win re-election, however I am grateful for the opportunity to have served my community in this capacity,” Capehart said in a prepared statement issued to media outlets.

Capehart also vowed to continue working for the betterment of St. Croix, outside her capacity as senator, once January 2015 comes around.

“Although today marks the end of my campaign for election to the 31^st Legislature, I will still continue, outside the capacity of public office, my campaign for a better St. Croix,” she said.

“To the newly elected candidates and to my colleagues who were reelected, I wish you all the best. We all know the challenges facing this territory. Tough decisions will most definitely have to be made and I trust you will have the best interest of the people of the Virgin Islands at heart,” Capehart concluded.

In September, Capehart’s fortunes took a turn for the worse when it was revealed she was the lone St. Croix senator who voted for the now-vetoed ‘Streetlights Bill’ that sought to give the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) the green light to charge customers for streetlights usage.

However, after the measure received heavy backlash that birthed two petitions and a protest at Government House in Christiansted, Capehart told this reporter she would have repealed the bill had she been given the chance because she had heard “the cry of the people,” and would not want to do anything to hurt them, as they elected her to help.

Senator Capehart placed 12th in the senatorial race with 2,555 votes; falling 1,434 votes behind the lowest-placed St. Croix Senator, Nereida Rivera-O’Reilly.